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'{{Infobox person | image = | image_size = | name = George Akiyama | caption = | birth_name = Yūji Akiyama | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|4|27}} | birth_place = [[Ashikaga, Tochigi|Ashikaga]], [[Tochigi Prefecture]], [[Japan]] | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | nationality = [[Japanese people|Japanese]] | residence = [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] | known_for = ''Ashura'' (1970–1971)<br />''[[Haguregumo]]'' (1973–)<br />''Manga Chūgoku Nyūmon'' (2005) | occupation = [[mangaka|Manga artist]] | website = [http://www.george-akiyama.com/ www.george-akiyama.com] }} {{Anime}} {{nihongo|'''George Akiyama'''|ジョージ秋山|Jōji Akiyama|born {{nihongo|Yūji Akiyama|秋山 勇二}}, April 27, 1943 in [[Ashikaga, Tochigi|Ashikaga]], [[Tochigi Prefecture]], [[Japan]]}} is a Japanese [[mangaka|manga artist]] known for dealing with controversial and incendiary topics in many of his works.<ref name="Nytimes"/><ref name="Ashura du9"/> He was born the second boy of five siblings. He has an older brother and older sister and younger brother and younger sister. His father is a Korean and was an artificial flower craftsman. ==Biography== Akiyama quit high school and moved to [[Tokyo]] to become a manga artist. After working briefly as a book wholesaler, he became an assistant for manga artist [[Kenji Morita]].<ref name="Comipress">{{cite web|url=http://comipress.com/book/export/html/2935 |title=George Akiyama |publisher=comipress.com |accessdate=July 30, 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106074035/http://comipress.com/book/export/html/2935 |archivedate=January 6, 2009 |df= }}</ref> He made his major debut in 1966 with the gag-manga ''Gaikotsu-kun'', which was published in ''Bekkan Shōnen Magazine'', and shocked readers in 1970 with ''Ashura'', which contained numerous unsettling depictions of human life. The first chapter of ''Ashura'' contains a scene where a woman commits cannibalism to prevent herself from dying of starvation, and later attempts to eat her own child as well.<ref name="Ashura du9">{{cite web | url=http://www.du9.org/Ashura,992 | title=L'autre Bande Dessinee - Ashura by George Akiyama| publisher= du9.org | accessdate=July 30, 2008}}</ref> The August 2, 1970 edition of ''[[Weekly Shōnen Magazine]]'', which first published this chapter, was banned in several regions as a result of this scene, propelling Akiyama to infamy within the manga industry. Akiyama continued his career with ''Kokuhaku'' (lit. "Confessions"), which began serialization in the 11th edition of ''[[Weekly Shōnen Sunday]]'' in 1971. This manga took on an unprecedented format where Akiyama would make a confession each week (for instance, in one chapter he confesses that he is a murderer), only to admit that his confession was a lie in the following week's chapter.<ref name="Comipress"/> After repeating this for the duration of the manga, Akiyama suddenly announced his retirement, cutting off all of the serializations he held on various magazines to embark on a solo journey across Japan. Akiyama came out of retirement only 3 months later with ''Bara no Sakamichi'', which began serialization in the 34th edition of ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' in 1971. He started his longest work, [[Haguregumo]], on ''[[Big Comic Original]]'', which won him the [[Shogakukan Manga Award]] in 1979.<ref name="ShogakukanAward">{{cite web|url=http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html |script-title=ja:小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 |publisher=Shogakukan |language=Japanese |accessdate=August 19, 2007 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5msLIPidX?url=http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html |archivedate=January 18, 2010 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> The series has yet to conclude after over 30 years of serialization, and has spanned over 80 volumes since its inception in 1973. The series was also adapted into an [[anime]] movie by [[Toei Animation]] in 1982. ''Hakuai no Hito'' and ''Sutegataki Hitobito'', both serialized in the magazine ''Big Gold'', marked Akiyama's transition towards employing more philosophical themes rather than the gag-based style he had used throughout his early career. Akiyama also participated in creating a manga version of the [[Bible]], which was published by Gentosha in 2005. The same year, he also published {{nihongo|''An Introduction to China: A Study of Our Bothersome Neighbors''|マンガ中国入門 やっかいな隣人の研究|Manga Chūgoku Nyūmon: Yakkai na Rinjin no Kenkyū}}, a highly controversial manga which depicted the Chinese as being obsessed with cannibalism and prostitution, and denied that the [[Rape of Nanking]] ever occurred.<ref name="Nytimes">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/19/international/asia/19comics.html | title=Ugly Images of Asian Rivals Become Best Sellers in Japan | author=Norimitsu Onishi | publisher=New York Times | date=November 19, 2005 | accessdate=January 1, 2008}}</ref> The book went on to become a bestseller in Japan despite its incendiary content. ==Notable works== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left; width: 80%; margin: auto;" |- ! Title ! Year ! Collected |- | {{nihongo|''Patman X''|パットマンX|Pattoman X}} | 1967–1968 | 5 [[tankōbon]], ''[[Weekly Shōnen Magazine]]'', [[Kodansha]]<br />Recipient of the Kodansha Jidō Manga Award. |- | {{nihongo|''Derorinman''|デロリンマン}} | 1969–1970 | 2 tankōbon, ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'', [[Shueisha]]<br />The volumes were titled {{nihongo|''Ganso Derorinman''|元祖デロリンマン}} because they were released after the 1975 remake. |- | {{nihongo|''Horafuki Dondon''|ほらふきドンドン}} | 1969–1970 | 5 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', Kodansha |- | {{nihongo|''Ashura''|アシュラ}} | 1970–1971 | 3 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', Kodansha |- | {{nihongo|''[[Zeni Geba]]''|銭ゲバ}} | 1970–1971 | 5 tankōbon, ''[[Weekly Shōnen Sunday]]'', [[Shogakukan]] |- | {{nihongo|''Kokuhaku''|告白}} | 1971 | 1 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'', Shogakukan |- | {{nihongo|''Bara no Sakamichi''|ばらの坂道}} | 1971–1972 | 3 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'', Shueisha |- | {{nihongo|''The Moon''|ザ・ムーン}} | 1972–1973 | 4 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'', Shogakukan |- | {{nihongo|''[[Haguregumo]]''|浮浪雲}} | 1973- | 110 tankōbon (ongoing), ''[[Big Comic Original]]'', Shogakukan |- | ''Hana no Yotarō'' | 1974–1979 | 15 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Champion'' |- | ''Derorinman'' | 1975–1976 | 3 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', Kodansha<br />Remake of the 1969 manga, which differs significantly from the original version. |- | ''Bonkura Dōshin'' | 1976–1977 | 4 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', Kodansha |- | ''Gyara'' | 1979–1981 | 8 tankōbon, ''Shōnen King'' |- | ''Pink no Curtain'' | 1980–1984 | Part 1: 15 tankōbon, Part 2: 6 tankōbon, ''Weekly Manga Goraku'' |- | ''Chōjin Haruko'' | 1982–1984 | 3 tankōbon, ''[[Weekly Morning]]'' |- | ''Kaijin Gonzui'' | 1984 | 1 tankōbon, ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' |- | ''Koiko no Mainichi'' | 1985–1992 | 32 tankōbon, ''[[Weekly Manga Action]]'' |- | ''Kudoki-ya Joe'' | 1986–1987 | 4 tankōbon, ''[[Big Comic Superior]]'' |- | ''Lovelin Monroe'' | 1989–1993 | 13 tankōbon, ''[[Young Magazine]]'' |- | ''Onnagata Kisaburō'' | 1993–2002 | 7 tankōbon, ''Big Comic Original Sōkan'' |- | ''Hakuai no Hito'' | 1993–1996 | 8 tankōbon, ''Big Gold'' |- | ''Dobugero-sama'' | 1995–1996 | 1 tankōbon, ''[[Gangan Comics#Monthly Shōnen Gangan|Monthly Shōnen Gangan]] |- | ''Sutegataki Hitobito'' | 1996–1999 | 5 tankōbon, ''Big Gold'' |- | ''Ikinasai Kiki'' | 2001–2002 | 4 tankōbon, |- | ''WHO are YOU'' | 2002 | 1 tankōbon, ''Big Comic Original Sōkan''<br />Author listed as Yūji Akiyama during serialization. |- | ''Manga Chūgoku Nyūmon: Yakkai na Rinjin no Kenkyū'' | 2005 | Published by Asukashinsha. |} ==See also== * [[Manga Kenkanryu]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.george-akiyama.com/ Official Website] {{ja icon}} * {{ann|people|6693}} {{Shogakukan Manga Award - General}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Akiyama, George}} [[Category:1943 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Manga artists]] [[Category:Manga artists from Tochigi Prefecture]]'